Game of chance

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a card based game of chance which includes a set of standard playing cards; an additional special card; and a random selection device to be operated when the special card is dealt to a player to determine a supplementary payout to that player. Betting participation in a card based game of chance is enhanced by adding the special card to a standard set of cards and permitting a player to whom the card is dealt to operate a random selection device to determine a supplementary payout. Apparatus to play the game has a set of standard playing cards; a special card to be added to the set; and a random selection device to be operated when the special card is dealt to a player to determine a supplementary payout to that player. A table layout for the card based game of chance includes regions demarcated thereon for playing a basic game; and at least one extra participating betting region whereby at least one player may place a bet to participate in a supplementary game of chance associated with the random selection device.

RELATED APPLICATIONS AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This patent application claims priority to South Africa patent application number ZA 2006/08928, filed Oct. 26, 2006.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to a game of chance, based on a card game, to be played at a gaming house such as a casino, which may be real or virtual. More particularly, it relates to apparatus for playing a game of chance, to methods of enhancing betting participation in games of chance, to games of chance and to a layout for a table on which the game is played.

SUMMARY

According to the invention, there is provided an apparatus for playing a game of chance which includes:

a set of standard playing cards;

a special card to be added to the set; and

a random selection device to be operated when the special card is dealt to determine a supplementary payout to at least one participating player.

The apparatus may include a table on which the card game is played, the random selection device being associated with the table.

Further according to the invention, there is provided a method of enhancing betting participation in a card based game of chance which includes:

adding a special card to a set of standard playing cards; and

causing a random selection device to be operated when the special card is dealt to determine a supplementary payout to at least one participating player.

Still further according to the invention, there is provided a card based game of chance which includes

a set of standard playing cards;

an additional special card; and

a random selection device to be operated when the special card is dealt to determine a supplementary payout to at least one participating player.

Even further according to the invention, there is provided a table layout for the card based game of chance described above which includes

regions demarcated thereon for playing a basic game; and

at least one extra participating betting region whereby at least one player may place a bet to participate in a supplementary game of chance associated with the random selection device.

It will be appreciated that the basic card game being played is suspended when the special card is dealt and is resumed once the supplementary payout has been determined and paid,

The table layout may have at least one extra participating region for each player station.

The set of cards may be a plurality of packs of playing cards.

The basic game may be blackjack.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that if a player wishes to participate in the supplementary game of chance associated with the random selection device, which is triggered by the special card being dealt, he places a participating bet in the extra participating betting region. The participating bet may be a fixed amount. Only that player to whom the special card is dealt, or further players who have placed a piggyback participating bet at that player station, may participate in the supplementary game of chance. Participating bets are placed at the beginning of each hand and are lost at the end of each hand if the special card is not dealt in that hand. Similarly, if the special card is dealt in a particular hand to a particular player, participating bets placed at other player stations are also lost to the house.

The payout may be fixed amounts, a jackpot or a portion of a jackpot. The jackpot may be a progressive jackpot.

The apparatus may include an activating unit for activating the random selecting device. The activating unit may be portable such that it may be handed, in use, to a player to whom the special card is dealt (the “selected player”), so that the selected player may activate the random selection device. The activating unit may be wirelessly operable.

The random selecting device may be a wheel device. It may be physical or virtual, being displayed on a display screen.

The random selecting device may operate in a plurality of stages. In particular it may have two stages, the second stage being operated if a designated possibility is selected in the first stage. The other possibilities in the first round may have payout amounts associated therewith, or not.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is now described, by way of a non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:—

FIG. 1 shows schematically an apparatus for playing a game of chance in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 shows a schematic layout of a blackjack table for playing the game of chance of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, an apparatus for playing a game of chance in accordance with the invention is designated generally by reference numeral 10. The apparatus 10 comprises a table 12 with seven stations for seven players 14, a wireless activator 16 and a wheel of chance device 18. The game 10 is played with a set of cards 19 comprising several decks of standard playing cards with one additional special card 21.

The table 12 is a standard Blackjack table with extra betting regions marked thereon, as is explained below with reference to FIG. 2. The special card 21 is added to the set of cards 19 and shuffled therewith. Blackjack hands are played, as normal, with players also placing extra participating bets (“side bets”) in the extra betting regions, if they want to participate in the extra game afforded by means of the invention. If, in any hand, the special card is not dealt, all these side bets are lost to the house. When the special card 21 is dealt the hand of Blackjack being played is suspended and the player to whom the special card 21 is dealt then plays in the extra game, if he has placed a side bet for that hand. This player is then given the activator 16. He presses an activating button 20 on the activator 16, which causes the wheel of chance device 18 to operate. The device 18 has a number of segments 22 and a pointer 24. The various segments 22 are allocated different payout amounts with one segment 22.1 qualifying the player to go to a second stage. In this second stage the player in question again presses the button 20 and the device 18 is again operated. However, in this second stage the segments are allocated a jackpot or portions of the jackpot.

Once the extra game is over, the special card 21 is added to the pile of used cards and the suspended Blackjack game continues.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the layout of the table 12 is shown. It has seven normal main betting boxes 26 with each main betting box 26 having associated therewith three supplementary betting boxes 28. Each player may place one to three side bets in his supplementary boxes 28 if he has placed a bet in his main box 26, as explained above. If he places only one bet, then he gets one chance to play the extra game if he is dealt the special card. If he places two bets then he gets two chances, and three chances if he places three bets. Instead, other players may place side bets in the supplementary boxes of stations other than their own, these players then getting a chance to play the extra game if the special card is dealt to the relevant player station. 

1. Apparatus for playing a game of chance which includes: a set of standard playing cards; an additional special card; and a random selection device to be operated when the special card is dealt to determine a supplementary payout to at least one participating player.
 2. The apparatus claimed in claim 1 which includes a table on which the game is played.
 3. The apparatus claimed in claim 1, in which the supplementary payout is a fixed amount, a jackpot or a portion of a jackpot.
 4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which includes an activating unit for activating the random selecting device.
 5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which the activating unit is portable.
 6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, in which the activating unit is wirelessly operable.
 7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the random selecting device is a wheel device.
 8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which the wheel device is physical or virtual.
 9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the random selecting device is operable in a plurality of stages.
 10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the random selecting device has two stages, the second stage being operable if a designated possibility is selected in the first stage.
 11. A method of enhancing betting participation in a card based game of chance which includes: adding a special card to a set of standard playing cards; and causing a random selection device to be operated when the special card is dealt to determine a supplementary payout to at least one participating player.
 12. The method claimed in claim 11, which includes dealing the cards.
 13. The method claimed in claim 12, which includes suspending the card game when the special card is dealt and resuming the card game once the supplementary payout has been determined and paid.
 14. The method claimed in claim 11, in which the supplementary payout is a fixed amount, a jackpot or a portion of a jackpot.
 15. The method claimed in claim 11, in which the random selection device is remotely operated.
 16. The method as claimed in claim 15, in which the random selection device is operated in a wireless manner.
 17. The method as claimed in claim 11, in which the random selection device is operated in a two stage manner.
 18. A card based game of chance which includes: a set of standard playing cards; an additional special card; and a random selection device to be operated when the special card is dealt to determine a supplementary payout to at least one participating player.
 19. A card based game of chance as claimed in claim 18, in which the supplementary payout is a fixed amount, a jackpot or a portion of a jackpot.
 20. A table layout for the card based game of chance as claimed in claim 19, which includes, regions demarcated thereon for playing a basic game; and at least one extra participating betting region whereby at least one player may place a bet to participate in a supplementary game of chance associated with the random selection device.
 21. She table layout as claimed in claim 19, which has at least one extra participating region for each player station. 